Overview

During the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, the American colonies
developed, for the most part, independently of each other. Each of the colonies
had a distinctive character, distinctive customs and traditions, and a different
style of government. Though geographically united and all colonies of Great
Britain, they existed in isolation, the majority ignorant of the needs and
desires specific to other colonies. However, as the colonies underwent similar
experiences subjected to British oppression, they began to see the need for
unity. Communication between the political leaders of the separate colonies
increased and, gradually, political interaction followed. The First
Continental Congress convened in 1774, uniting
the colonies in political resistance to the British, and symbolizing the first
step toward unified national government. Still, political leaders and common
colonists alike found it difficult to define their citizenship and interests
beyond the borders of their towns and colonies.

On July 4, 1776 the American colonies declared their independence from Great
Britain and began in earnest the Revolutionary
War, which would win them that independence.
Primary among the many concerns facing the new nation was the creation of a
united national government out of the thirteen disparate governments of the
states. This was officially accomplished by the adoption of the Articles of
Confederation in 1777. However, during the war there was little time to
devote to establishing the institutions and functions of government and the
Second Continental Congress ruled
under an
uncertain set of rules, basically concerning itself with matters of diplomatic
and military concern on an as-needed basis.

Once the war ended, however, the need for a well-defined national government was
clear. The government organized according to the Articles of Confederation and
the nation began the effort of defining its government, a process that took
many twists and turns during the early years of American history. This early
founding period resulted in the ultimate failure of the Articles and left the
nation with a new document that has served as the framework of US government for
more than 200 years since its drafting, the Constitution. The period also
ended with the details of many of the functions of the national government
solidified through precedent. In fact, many of the precedents set by the first
Congress, the newly established Supreme Court, and by the nation's first
president, George Washington, still endure as standard operating procedure
for the national government.

During this period, some of the nation's most prominent future leaders first
made their mark on the national government. John Adams, Thomas
Jefferson, James Madison, and James Monroe, all future Presidents of the
United States, played active roles in the framing of the Constitution and the
exploration of national politics that followed during Washington's
administration. All of these men formed the political values that would shape
their presidencies during the period of state-building.

More than anything, the period that saw the building of the state left much room
for the nation to grow and evolve, and established the conditions under which
this evolution would take place. Washington left office with the international
situation uncertain, the fate of westward expansion unknown, and the powers of
the national government still contested. Perhaps the greatest legacy of the
party emerged from the conflicts arising from the central issues of building the
state, the evolution of the government into two major political parties, a
system which still prevails today. The existence of both a majority and
opposition party determined the course of the United States as it grew into what
it is today. Additionally, the problems faced by the early national government
of reconciling the interests of geographically and ideologically varied states
hinted at the emergence of sectionalism, the defining political reality of the
first half of the nineteenth century.